As I look out across the landscape of America and take her spiritual temperature, it breaks my heart and if you are a born again believer, it should break your heart as well. We appear to be morally bankrupt and spiritually on life support. Our fabric is frayed and our seams are torn. We have become a nation that has turned its back on God.
I. Character has been replaced with charisma
No longer is it the character of a man that counts, it's the way he portrays himself; the way he promotes himself. It's not what he stands for but who he sits with or who he is seen with.
II. Honesty is something that gets in the way of ambition
Whatever it takes to get from point A to point B, many are willing to do at the cost and sacrifice of honesty.
III. Truth is multicolored
Whats that mean? It's no longer "black and white". It is not yes or no or right or wrong. Truth for many is whatever they choose it to be to fit the circumstance they find themselves in. Many claim there is no absolute truth. May I tell you, there is an absolute truth. Just as sure as there is a God in the glory, we have absolute truth! God has given us a Bible; it is the word of God. Deut. 32:4 tells us that "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: A God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Isaiah 40:8 tells us that "The word of our God shall stand forever." 2 Tim. 3:16 tells us "All scripture is given by inspiration of God". The Bible is God breathed not man made.
Men listen, it is each individual block that makes a foundation and it is each individual strand of fiber that makes up the sum total of the fabric and in relation to our country, I believe the foundation and the fabric starts with the men. It starts with me and with you and all the born again men in this country. It starts with godly men; in our homes, in our churches and in our communities; on the job sites, in the offices, in the factories, on the roads, and in the pulpits. This in turn will have an affect on our country. We need to be Christ like men, Holy Spirit filled men, men of prayer, men of the word, men who love the Lord Jesus Christ, men who are willing to follow the Lord completely, unashamedly and without stutter or stammer. This is who we need to be.
Because men, as we go so goes many others!
As we go - so goes our families
As we go - so goes our homes
As we go - so goes our churches
And ultimately our country.
I am afraid that many men have lost their fire; they have given up; they have checked out and tuned out; they have let go of the anchor, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm afraid we have let go of the Lord and we (the men) have put down His Word. We have put down the sword and we have sinned against our God. We have forgotten our first love and in doing so, we have dropped the ball when it comes to being the men that God wants us to be. The foundation is cracked and the fabric is frayed, but my friends, all is not lost.
It is my prayer that stone by stone and piece by piece, the born again men in this country will return to the Lord and be about the things of Almighty God and be the men that God would have us to be. It's about being an instrument and a tool in the hands of God. Don't miss this - we need to be a clean instrument and a clean tool to fulfill His purpose for the days we live in. To bring glory to God and not shame. Now, these things can never be accomplished with emotion or fancy speeches or one’s own will power. We need Almighty God to meet with us and we need the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do; to minister to our hearts as God's word speaks to our hearts.
We must allow God to search our hearts because God will not bless what He does not approve. If we want to be a man after God's own heart, we must be men who will allow God to search our hearts. We must be as David and say, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." (Psalm 139: 23-24) This must be our prayer and this must be our priority; to place our hearts in God's hand and let Him bring to the surface the sins that He wants to deal with so that we can be a man of God and God's man.
May the Lord meet with us all in a mighty way!